Editing The Defiant Ones (section)

==Production==
[[File:Belair Drive-in Ad - 12 December 1958, Fontana, CA.jpg|thumb|[[Drive-in theater|Drive-in]] advertisement from 1958]]
[[Robert Mitchum]], a veteran of a Southern [[chain gang]], turned down the role of Jackson because he believed black and white people would not be chained together in the segregated South at that time.<ref name="server2001">{{cite book |title=Robert Mitchum: "Baby I Don't Care" |last=Server |first=Lee |url=https://archive.org/details/robertmitchumbab00serv |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/robertmitchumbab00serv/page/280 280] |year=2001 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=0-312-26206-X}}</ref> Mitchum's reasoning was misinterpreted over the years into the claim that he turned down the film because of his refusal to work with a black man.<ref name="server2001"/> Kramer wrote that Poitier was initially unsure of Curtis' casting but became supportive. Curtis, however, denied this; he stated that he had contractual rights to approve who would play Cullen. However, despite Curtis' many later claims and stories, Kramer had cast Poitier and [[Marlon Brando]] as the two leads when a previous contractual obligation prevented Poitier from being able to accept the role. Kramer wanted Poitier for the role so badly that he delayed the film's production, which led to Brando having to decline because the delay caused shooting to overlap with another obligation. Curtis was cast afterwards. Curtis did request Poitier's name appear with his above the movie title marking a first for Poitier in his career.<ref name="afi">{{cite web |title=The Defiant Ones (1958) |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/53463 |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]] |access-date=8 March 2023}}</ref><ref name="tcmcurtis">{{cite episode|series=[[Private Screenings]] |title=Tony Curtis |network=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |date=January 19, 1999}}</ref>

[[Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer|Carl Switzer]], of the ''[[Our Gang]]'' comedies, has a small role. It was his last before his death.

In his second autobiography ''Why Me'', [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] revealed that [[Elvis Presley]] wanted to star with him in this film. However, [[Colonel Tom Parker]], Presley's manager, was against it.<ref>{{cite book |title=Why Me? |last=Davis Jr. |first=Sammy |author-link=Sammy Davis Jr. |year=1989 |publisher=Farrar, Straus & Giroux |isbn=978-0374289973
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